April 7th

The South island exceeds so little of the horizon that it is necessary to wait for the last moment to discover how beautiful it is when the boat approaches it finally. It was mid-afternoon yesterday, so we finally reached Flo F5CWU and Pasal F5PTM arrived earlier with the first boat trip. After a 26 hours boat ride, we were also very happy to have a meal before continuing immediately. Our two friends of the “pre-team” had already set up all the VDAs and the 30m Four Square. We took advantage of the last hours before the night to install the 40m Four Square. We also hoped to complete the installation of the 160m antenna to start during the first night, but the wind decided otherwise. At the end we installed the stations during the night and began operating just after. Despite the fatigue of the first day, the operators took their turns all night long and more than 3000 qso were in the log early in the morning.

For this new day, the installations of the remaining antennas were resumed, while maintaining a maximum of active stations. The setup is now complete for both transmission and reception. The rythm will now be fully reached.

Regarding the island, it reminds us Tromelin and Juan de Nova very much, both in terms of fauna and flora. Based on these previous experiences, we have been able to avoid disturbances for birds as much as possible, and select the right areas for the antennas. Many terns incubate their eggs and toddlers barely open their eyes. It really looks like heaven.

We are fortunate to share the island with Mauritian fishermen friends who are very willing to give us a hand, and even share the results of their catch.

With this first communication also comes the first online log. We ask you to make this expedition a success by providing helpful information to our pilot stations.

Let’s get the party started !